Thank you Willow Creek Leadership Summit

Friday August 6, 2010 - Two years ago today my life changed forever at the Willowcreek Summit. I had just returned from Swaziland, Africa, feeling called to continue serving there but frustrated that the local people we had come to love seemed unwilling or unable to participate in their own solutions. Volunteerism was nearly non-existent. Instead they seemed dependent on us (and other western help) to address the complex problems they faced every day. I sensed that the help we offered was not really helpful, at least in a sustainable way, but didn’t know what to do differently.

Rubbing off . . .

When I was a little girl, my grandmother’s house had white washed exterior walls and a courtyard with a fence that was also whitewashed. When my sister and I played in the courtyard the whitewash would rub off on our clothes. In fact, it seemed like just hanging out near the whitewash would cause it to rub off on us. We were pretty oblivious to the influence of the whitewash on our clothes while we were busy playing. It wasn’t until we came inside and were away from the courtyard that we noticed how the whitewash had affected us.

Isn’t how it is with things that rub off, good or bad? It’s not very often that we try to get something on us, it just happens. That is what happened to me last month in Swaziland.

Christmas Paradigms

Webster defines paradigm as: A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline.

I think that paradigms are difficult to change, mostly because we don’t realize that we have them. I think that the way I view reality IS reality, and it never occurs to me that reality might be different. In fact, perhaps our paradigm can only change when we are shocked and rocked out of our reality by some kind of outside force.

World Aids Day 2009

Today is World AIDS Day. HOW each of us participates in this event is personal. THAT we participate should be a given.  Here are a few participation suggestions:

• Buy something from Product RED and help provide ARV's to Africans suffering from AIDS.  A quick trip to Starbucks will work, or find other RED partners here.
• Dedicate some time to pray specifically about this pandemic.
• Read passages about Jesus’ encounters with the sick. Try these: Matt 8:5-13, 9: 25-34, Mk 1:29-34, 5: 21-43, Lk 13:19-17.
• Meditate on Jesus’ instructions to us, His followers, in Matt 25 about we are to respond to the sick, hungry, thirsty and in great need.
  Set aside some time to search the web and look for reading that will help you understand more about AIDS. You can find two great articles by our partner, Dr. Arnau Van Wyngaard: here and here.
• Download these great free resources from World Vision, the WCA and Fuller Seminary: here.
• Have some intentional conversations.  In the lunch room or around the dinner table, ask some questions and see where the discussion goes.  Here are some discussion starters: "Why does God allow an incurable disease to ravage innocent people," "Why should we become involved when often the African governments are corrupt and uninvolved," "What kind of 'help' is most likely to make a real difference."

The main benefit of World Aids Day is that millions of people around the world will pause, think and pray about what we can do to make a difference in this pandemic.  I believe that those of us who approach today asking questions, desiring a different world and willing to be part of making it so, just might have their own lives changed forever.

Wendi Hammond

How should serving feel?

I’ve been working in some sort of volunteer management for the past 10 years. For most of these years my mantra has been about the need for leaders to invest in and equip those who serve on their teams, and that failing to do so is really nothing more than using people.

I still feel this way, but I’ve lately become troubled by another leader perspective which I’ve noticed, something on the other end of the spectrum; working hard to see that volunteers “feel really good” as a result of their experience. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes people will feel great after serving, and should. When someone they’ve been ministering to finally decides to follow Jesus; when team efforts result in a goal reached. These things feel great, but there are other feelings that a volunteer should be experiencing.

Are we making a difference?

About a week ago it was “Make a Difference Day” around the U.S, the national day of service. People are encouraged to join together; invest time and talent in their communities. This is a great idea. People are encouraged to engage, to step outside of themselves, link arms with others and spend a few hours “making a difference” in their community. This day has the potential to foster new friendships and partnerships for ongoing volunteer engagement. It has the potential to really “make a difference” in the lives of both the one served and the one being served. But I’m wondering, after observing activities in my community, exactly how is that potential realized?

The Monkey and the Fish

A typhoon stranded a monkey on an island. In a protected place on the shore, while waiting for the raging waters to recede, he spotted a fish swimming against the current. It seemed to the monkey that the fish was struggling and needed assistance. Being of kind heart, the monkey resolved to help the fish.